Printer with media supply spool adapted to sense type of media, and method of assembling same

Abstract

A printer with media supply spool adapted to sense type of media, and method of assembling same. A supply spool to be loaded into the printer is adapted to allow the printer to sense type of a media ribbon thereon. The supply spool comprises a shaft having a supply of media ribbon wound thereabout. A transceiver unit is disposed proximate the shaft. The transceiver is capable of transmitting a first electromagnetic field and sensing a second electromagnetic field. A transponder including a semi-conductor chip is integrally connected to the shaft and has encoded data previously stored therein indicative of the type of media ribbon. The chip is capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field to power the chip and then generating the second electromagnetic field as the chip is powered. The second electromagnetic field is characteristic of the data previously stored in the chip. The transceiver unit senses the second electromagnetic field, which second electromagnetic field has the data subsumed in the chip. The printer then operates in accordance with the data sensed by the transceiver to produce quality prints consistent with the type of donor being used.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A printer adapted to sense type of media disposed therein, comprising: (a) a transceiver for transmitting a first electromagnetic field and for sensing a second electromagnetic field; and   (b) a memory spaced-apart from said transceiver and having data stored therein indicative of the type of media, said memory capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field to power said memory and generating the second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby, the second electromagnetic field being characteristic of the data stored in said memory.   
     
     
       2. The printer of claim 1, wherein said memory is a read/write memory. 
     
     
       3. The printer of claim 1, further comprising a laser printhead for thermally activating the media. 
     
     
       4. A printer adapted to sense type of a media disposed therein, comprising: (a) a printhead;   (b) a transceiver unit in association with said printhead for transmitting a first electromagnetic field and for sensing a second electromagnetic field;   (c) a supply spool spaced-apart from said transceiver, said supply spool having a supply of the media wound thereabout; and   (d) a transponder integrally connected to said supply spool and having data stored therein indicative of the type of media, said transponder capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field to power said transponder and generating the second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby, the second electromagnetic field being characteristic of the data stored in said transponder, whereby said transceiver unit senses the second electromagnetic field as said transponder generates the second electromagnetic field.   
     
     
       5. The printer of claim 4, wherein said transponder is a read/write memory semi-conductor chip. 
     
     
       6. The printer of claim 4, wherein said transceiver transmits the first electromagnetic field at a predetermined first radio frequency. 
     
     
       7. The printer of claim 6, wherein said transponder generates the second electromagnetic field at a predetermined second radio frequency. 
     
     
       8. The printer of claim 4, wherein said printhead is a laser printhead for thermally activating the media. 
     
     
       9. A printer adapted to sense type of a media disposed ribbon therein, the media ribbon capable of being thermally activated to transfer dye therefrom, comprising: (a) a laser printhead for thermally activating the media ribbon;   (b) a transceiver unit in association with said printhead for transmitting a first electromagnetic field of a predetermined first radio frequency and for sensing a second electromagnetic field of a predetermined second radio frequency;   (c) a media ribbon supply spool spaced-apart from said transceiver, said supply spool having a supply of the media ribbon wound thereabout;   (d) a read/write memory semi-conductor chip integrally connected to said supply spool and having encoded data stored therein indicative of the type of the media ribbon, said chip capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field to power said chip and capable of generating the second electromagnetic field as the chip is powered, the second electromagnetic field being characteristic of the data stored in said chip so that the data is subsumed in the second electromagnetic field, whereby said transceiver unit senses the second electromagnetic field as said chip generates the second electromagnetic field; and   (e) a microprocessor coupled to said transceiver for controlling the printer in accordance with the data subsumed in the second electromagnetic field.   
     
     
       10. The printer of claim 9, further comprising a media ribbon media drive mechanism engaging the media ribbon for driving the media ribbon into heat transfer communication with said printhead, so that said printhead thermally activates the media ribbon. 
     
     
       11. A method of assembling a printer adapted to sense type of media disposed therein, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a transceiver for transmitting a first electromagnetic field and for sensing a second electromagnetic field; and   (b) disposing a memory spaced-apart from the transceiver, the memory having data stored therein indicative of the type of media, the memory capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field to power said memory and generating the second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby, the second electromagnetic field being characteristic of the data stored in the memory.   
     
     
       12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of disposing a memory comprises the step of disposing a read/write memory. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing a laser printhead for thermally activating the media. 
     
     
       14. A method of assembling a printer adapted to sense type of a media disposed therein, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a printhead;   (b) disposing a transceiver unit relative to the printhead for transmitting a first electromagnetic field and for sensing a second electromagnetic field;   (c) disposing a supply spool spaced-apart from the transceiver, the supply spool having a supply of the media wound thereabout; and   (d) integrally connecting a transponder to the supply spool, the transponder having data stored therein indicative of the type of media, the transponder capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field to power said transponder and generating the second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby, the second electromagnetic field being characteristic of the data stored in the transponder, whereby the transceiver unit senses the second electromagnetic field as the transponder generates the second electromagnetic field.   
     
     
       15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of disposing a transponder comprises the step of disposing a read/write memory semi-conductor transponder. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of disposing a transceiver comprises the step of disposing a transceiver capable of transmitting the first electromagnetic field at a predetermined first radio frequency. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of disposing a transponder comprises the step of disposing a transponder capable of generating the second electromagnetic field at a predetermined second radio frequency. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing a printhead comprises the step of providing a laser printhead for thermally activating the media. 
     
     
       19. A method of assembling a printer adapted to sense type of a media disposed ribbon therein, the media ribbon capable of being thermally activated to transfer dye therefrom, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a laser printhead for thermally activating the media ribbon;   (b) disposing a transceiver unit relative to the printhead for transmitting a first electromagnetic field of a predetermined first radio frequency and for sensing a second electromagnetic field of a predetermined second radio frequency;   (c) disposing a media ribbon supply spool spaced-apart from the transceiver, the supply spool having a supply of the media ribbon wound thereabout;   (d) integrally connecting a read/write memory semi-conductor chip to the supply spool, the chip having encoded data stored therein indicative of the type of the media ribbon, the chip capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field to power the chip and capable of generating the second electromagnetic field as the chip is powered, the second electromagnetic field being characteristic of the data stored in the chip so that the data is subsumed in the second electromagnetic field, whereby the transceiver unit senses the second electromagnetic field as the chip generates the second electromagnetic field; and   (e) coupling a microprocessor to the transceiver for controlling the printer in accordance with the data subsumed in the second electromagnetic field.   
     
     
       20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of disposing a media drive mechanism engaging the media ribbon for driving the media ribbon into heat transfer communication with the printhead, so that the printhead thermally activates the media ribbon.